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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27476749">won't let you fall down</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/tmylm/pseuds/tmylm'>tmylm</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>OTP prompts; mixed ships [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Pitch Perfect (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Christmas, Christmas Fluff, F/F, Mitchsen - Freeform, Prompt Fill, Tumblr Prompt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 19:40:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,933</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27476749</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/tmylm/pseuds/tmylm</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>For the <a href="https://chloebeale.tumblr.com/post/634321586595495936/otp-drabble-challenge">prompt</a>: “You can’t ride a bike?” - “Why are we whispering?”</p>
<p>#25, mitchsen | requested by anonymous.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Beca Mitchell/Aubrey Posen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>OTP prompts; mixed ships [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2007394</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>66</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>won't let you fall down</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Fic title from He Is We's <i>All About Us</i>.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>
  <em>Post-Thanksgiving Break.</em>
</h1>
<p>“Beca… What is <em>that</em>?”</p>
<p>Aubrey’s bemused question is followed by a half confused, half amused chuckle as she holds open the large front door to the Bellas house. That is all of the helpful she is, of course; she simply watches as Beca struggles to lug the large metal bicycle through the threshold, of course proceeding to offer no other real assistance.</p>
<p>“This,” Beca begins through a deep breath of perseverance, “is what normal people call a bike.”</p>
<p>In response, glistening hazel eyes roll fondly, and Beca manages to momentarily hold off the incoming sarcastic response with a chaste kiss to Aubrey’s familiar lips—those same lips she has missed way more than she will ever admit over the course of the past few days.</p>
<p>“I know what a bike is,” Aubrey eventually scoffs, though the greeting kiss has evidently softened her tone, and Beca secretly feels incredibly smug for her minimal effort. She closes out the cold late November air, penciled brow arching as she watches Beca wheel the contraption into the hallway. “But where did it come from?”</p>
<p>Carefully, Beca leans the cushioned handle against the wall, before stepping back slightly to admire the clean purple frame. “I guess my dad has been reminiscing about old holidays and stuff recently. He was talking about how he used to love it when my brother and I would get bikes for Christmas when we were kids and we’d all take bike rides together, so obviously we humored him, and then,” she pauses to motion briefly toward the bike. “Happy Christmas, Beca, I guess.”</p>
<p>As she glances over her shoulder toward her girlfriend, Beca is met with what she perceives as an entirely fond expression, and it is almost as if she can read Aubrey’s mind. She can practically <em>see</em> the visions of a younger Beca riding her way too big bicycle through the light Christmas snow, and if the idea of Aubrey thinking those thoughts wasn’t so damn adorable to her, Beca would likely scoff.</p>
<p>“We’re spending Christmas with my mom this year, so my dad gave us our gifts over Thanksgiving,” Beca explains, arms folding casually across her middle as she leans comfortably into the soft arm wrapping loosely around her waist.</p>
<p>“Well, that was very sweet of him,” Aubrey chuckles softly, lips twisted into an amused grin.</p>
<p>“I mean, it’s kind of lame,” Beca frowns in response, though Aubrey quickly shakes her head in disagreement.</p>
<p>“I don’t think it is. I never got a bike for Christmas,” Aubrey shrugs, “I always wanted one, though.”</p>
<p>It is instantaneous, the way the cogs in Beca’s mind begin to quietly tick.</p>
<h1>
  <em>Pre-Christmas Break.</em>
</h1>
<p> </p>
<p>“Okay, almost there,” Beca assures as she walks as carefully as possible into her and Amy’s shared attic bedroom. She is shuffling on her tiptoes, body pressed against Aubrey’s back and arms stretched upward to properly cover Aubrey’s wandering eyes with her flattened hands.</p>
<p>“You’re ridiculous,” Aubrey chuckles in that melodic way that always manages to somehow make Beca melt just a little bit inside. “I said I wouldn’t look.”</p>
<p>“I don’t trust you,” Beca teases, finally dropping back down to flattened feet as her hands move down to her sides. “There, you can open your eyes.”</p>
<p>In hindsight, perhaps bringing Aubrey’s Christmas present all the way up to her bedroom had been a stupid idea; it is not as if a bicycle is exactly <em>easy</em> to transport up and down multiple flights of stairs, after all. It doesn’t matter now, though, because here it is, and Beca cannot hold back her proud grin as she sidles up beside her girlfriend, glancing between the soft pink bike, complete with a white basket and a festive Christmas bow, and her favorite face.</p>
<p>“Oh, my God,” Aubrey says with widened eyes, brows rising toward her hairline. Although evidently surprised, an excited smile stretches onto her lips, and Beca cannot help her small chuckle as she watches Aubrey make a hasty beeline for the bike. “Beca, what is this? You got me a bike?”</p>
<p>“Sure did,” Beca responds proudly, arms folding comfortably across her middle. She watches the way Aubrey’s nimble fingers coast along the shiny metal frame, and offers herself a mental pat on the back. “You said you always wanted a bike for Christmas, so I figured,” she shrugs, “I don’t know, we could do the whole Christmas bike ride thing together.”</p>
<p>Aubrey’s expression softens as she finally turns away from the bike and toward Beca. Her eyes glisten in a way that causes Beca’s breath to catch in her throat, and she easily stretches up onto her tiptoes again to wrap her arms loosely around Aubrey’s neck the second she approaches. It is easy to relax into the way familiar arms wind around her middle. “Do you like it?”</p>
<p>“I love it,” Aubrey responds in a soft, sincere voice, head ducking to push a small yet somehow lingering kiss to Beca’s lips.</p>
<p>There is a somewhat lazy grin stretching across Beca’s face as she pulls back slightly, staring up into her favorite shade of hazel. “Good. Wanna go give the bike ride thing a shot?”</p>
<p>It seems as though Aubrey pauses for a moment, almost as if she is thinking over her response. Finally, her gaze meets with Beca’s, and a small smile overtakes her lips. “Sure,” she nods her head once, “Let’s do it.”</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>After lugging one large bicycle down two sets of stairs, and another out of the door too, Beca is feeling decidedly much less festive.</p>
<p>“Remind me to leave it outside the next time I buy you something like this,” she grumbles disgruntledly.</p>
<p>“I mean, we didn’t have to do this right now,” Aubrey chuckles quietly, hand gently grasping onto Beca’s shoulder in a reassuring squeeze.</p>
<p>“No, we did,” Beca protests, hands gripping onto the handles of her own bike. It hasn’t had much use since Thanksgiving, but she is admittedly pretty excited to give it a spin now. “Even if we didn’t bring it down here now, we would’ve had to eventually.” Swiftly, Beca swings her leg over the frame, until she can position herself comfortably—as comfortable as a person can be on a bicycle, anyway—on the seat. “Come on, let’s do this.”</p>
<p>It is something of a nostalgic feeling for Beca, the pedals beneath the soles of her sneakers as she begins to ride slowly away from the outside of their house. It reminds her of being a kid again. She pauses once she reaches the sidewalk, foot down on the ground as she glances over her shoulder to see Aubrey pushing her new bike along, too.</p>
<p>“What are you doing?” Beca questions, brow arching slightly. “Hop on, they’re supposed to be ridden, not walked.”</p>
<p>“I know that,” Aubrey frowns, pausing once she finally catches up. She looks distinctly less excited now… Maybe even a little hesitant, in fact.</p>
<p>In response, Beca’s brows tug neatly together. “What’s wrong?”</p>
<p>“Nothing,” Aubrey says with a small shrug of her shoulder. In spite of herself, she still makes no attempt to climb onto the seat.</p>
<p>“You need it adjusting or something?” Beca offers, preparing to dismount her own bicycle.</p>
<p>“No,” Aubrey shakes her head, “It’s not that…”</p>
<p>“Then what is it?” Beca asks with a wrinkled nose. Admittedly, she cannot always read Aubrey, despite the fact that she truly does feel like she knows her better than she knows any other person in the world. Aubrey is her girlfriend, after all; Beca <em>knows</em> her. She is having a difficult time figuring her out right now, though, but she knows there is <em>something</em> Aubrey is not telling her. It becomes even more evident with her prolonged hesitation. “Aubrey?”</p>
<p>Instinctively, Aubrey’s rosy cheeks suck in between her pearly teeth, lips pursing in thought. “Well,” she begins somewhat slowly, “You know how I said I’d never received a bike for Christmas?”</p>
<p>Beca only nods along in response.</p>
<p>“I don’t…” Aubrey pauses, evidently mulling over her words. “Well, I never exactly learned…” she trails off slowly, gaze shifting almost nervously toward Beca.</p>
<p>Eyes widening slightly, Beca glances between the shiny pink bike and the blonde standing beside it. “Wait…” she begins in a whisper, voice only quieting as she continues, “You can’t ride a bike?”</p>
<p>There is a blank look on Aubrey’s face as she whispers in return, “Why are we whispering?”</p>
<p>“Oh, no, I don’t—” Beca pauses, clearing her throat and speaking in a more neutral tone. “You never learned to ride a bike?”</p>
<p>“Shh!” Aubrey hisses in response, to which Beca gawks with a slackened jaw.</p>
<p>“<em>You just said—</em>”</p>
<p>The pointed glare Aubrey cuts toward her breaks Beca off, and she chooses not to argue.</p>
<p>“Anyway, it’s not a big deal,” Aubrey says with straightened shoulders, stance very distinctly <em>Aubrey</em>.</p>
<p>Beca sucks in her cheek, head shaking gently in response. “I mean, it’s not. It’s totally not. But you…” Blue gaze shifting between Aubrey and the bike again, Beca eventually cuts herself off as she carefully climbs down from her own bike. She grips the handles, motioning with her head for Aubrey to follow. “Come on.”</p>
<p>“It’s really not a big deal,” Aubrey continues to press as she wheels her bike along behind Beca. “My parents were always busy, so they just never had the time to teach me.” It is clear in the way she is talking, though, that she is somewhat embarrassed. Beca, of course, is not judging. If anything, her heart kind of breaks for her.</p>
<p>Considering it is ridiculously cold outside, the expanse of grass they come to is clear of other bodies. It is just Beca, Aubrey and their two bikes. Beca leans over to carefully set hers on its side on the ground, while Aubrey watches with an arched brow. It rises further as Beca begins to approach. “What are you doing?”</p>
<p>“Teaching you to ride a bike,” Beca says with a small shrug of her shoulder and a clear sense of determination in her voice. Hand grasping onto one handlebar as the other swoops around to grip onto the back of the clean white seat, Beca motions Aubrey to climb up. “Come on.”</p>
<p>“Beca, stop,” Aubrey says with a roll of her eyes. “We do not have to do this.”</p>
<p>Beca, of course, does not move. She simply motions toward the seat again, waiting for Aubrey to comply. “Dude, this is happening whether you like it or not, I can stand here all day.”</p>
<p>Although Aubrey’s expression is a little unsure at first, hazel eyes move between Beca and the bike, before her still straightened shoulders seem to relax some. “You really want to do this Christmas bike ride together, don’t you?”</p>
<p>“I do,” Beca nods, holding the bike steadily as Aubrey cautiously swings her leg over the frame.</p>
<p>In spite of the fact she is doing as she is told, Aubrey’s hesitance remains evident. Regardless, she reaches out to cautiously grip onto the handlebars. “You promise you won’t let go?” she asks in a smaller voice, one that Beca barely even recognizes as Aubrey Posen’s.</p>
<p>Beca’s deadpan expression is response enough on its own. “Do you trust me?”</p>
<p>Slowly, Aubrey sucks in a breath through her nostrils. “Of course I trust you,” she nods shortly.</p>
<p>In response, Beca’s serious expression softens, and she takes note of the way Aubrey seems to relax in response to the soft, reassuring smile painting itself onto her lips. “Good,” she says, stretching up onto her tiptoes to push a soft peck to Aubrey’s lips, one Aubrey easily returns. “Then we’re doing this.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi, <a href="http://chloebeale.tumblr.com">this is me</a>!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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